(a) whether the National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) has initiated any welfare scheme for development of rural women in the country including Gujarat;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the number of beneficiaries for the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
(c) the fund allocated under this scheme during the above period, State-wise; and
(d) further steps being taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE(SHRI PAWAN KUMAR BANSAL)
(a) to (d) : In order to give more focus to women in various welfare and developmental
activities and to increase their access to institutional credit, National Agricultural Bank for
Rural Development (NABARD) has formulated the following schemes in the country, including
Gujarat :-
# Women Development Cells (WDC)- Under this scheme financial assistance is extended by
way of grant to WDCs established in Regional Rural Banks/Cooperative for taking up activities
to promote increased credit flow for women.
# Assistance to Rural Women for Rural Non Farm Development (ARWIND)- ARWIND, a single
window scheme comprising credit as well as promotional components, has been formulated with
the objective of entrepreneurial development among rural women.
# Assistance for Marketing of Non Farm Products of Rural Women (MAHIMA) – It aims at
supporting various initiatives for promoting marketing of items produced by rural women.
# Self Help Groups (SHGs)-Bank Linkage Programme – to promote financial access of rural
poor to the formal rural banking system by forming SHGs. The majority of SHGs (around 80%
of the total number of SHGs credit linked) are women groups. As on 31st March, 2008, 34.77
lakh (figures provisional) SHGs have been credit linked to the banking system.
The State-wise details of beneficiaries under ARWIND and MAHIMA for the years 2005-06, 2006-07,
2007-08 and 2008-09 (as on 30 September, 2008) are at Annex-I, while State-wise details of
beneficiaries under SHG-Bank Linkage Programme for the years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and
2008-09 (as on 30 September, 2008) are at Annex-II.